Knutsford Express expands into luxury car service

Customers of Knutsford Express have been enjoying a luxurious experience this year through luxury sedans, SUVs and limousine service as part of new transportation offerings being provided by the well-known company that has linked destinations around Jamaica through its executive coach service.

These new services fall under the umbrella of Knutsford Connect, a subsidiary of Knutsford Express Limited, which offers luxury transfer solutions to individuals, business travellers, groups and visitors to the island.

The subsidiary officially started operating in April of this year from its own office at 9 West Kings House Road in Kingston. The services include airport private transfers and airport shuttle service to and from the major airports.

“We offer it at both airports but we have a large volume of requests coming in from the Norman Manley International Airport,” revealed Michelle Singh, operations manager for Knutsford Connect.

The luxury vehicles, which include sedans and SUVs, are spacious with ample legroom while the limousine comes with high-end amenities and onboard entertainment. Limousines are fully stocked with beverages, including Champagne.

But the service is about much more than just the high-class quality of the vehicles, according to Singh. Service must match the luxury that is provided.

“We provide a professional, uniformed customer transportation officer in our company branded vehicles,” she said, indicating that this is not just a driver, but someone who is able to attend and respond to the needs of the client.

Singh emphasised attention to details and personal service in providing the client with transportation solutions.

“For private charters the customer makes contact with us and provides the relevant details,” she said. “The customer is sent a quotation and from there we provide assistance leading up to the time of the booking and there is even a follow-up service to ensure that service was executed properly, to get feedback and in so doing cement future business with them.”

Up until now marketing initiatives have been executed through the company's social media platforms, advertisement on its website and brochures distributed at Knutsford Express coach service locations.

Employees have been encouraged to promote the service and word of mouth has been positive from customers who have utilised Knutsford connect.

One particular positive example of word-of-mouth success came through Jamaican-American rapper and celebrity Safaree Williams.

“We recently had Safaree utilise the service and from his social media postings popularity went up,” Singh reported. “On any day, around the time of his visit here and for the days he was provided with the service, we had 6,000 hits per day on our social media platforms linked to him. Safaree has been the biggest trending celebrity that we've partnered with.”

The operations manager also informed that Knutsford Connect has made use of opportunities from sponsorship associations and long- standing customers who utilised the coach service on the other side of the business.

“We will have groups and private entities partnering with us where we provide transportation for them and in exchange they put us on their social media pages,” she said. “We are continuing to build awareness of the private charters through our luxury vehicles.”

The cost of services depends on the location of pick-up and destination. It could range from a same-day service to returning on another date. These factors affect costing and quotations.

Limousine service starts at a four-hour minimum which is US$780. Red-carpet service can also be offered with limousine service as is the case for weddings. A typical wedding service could include transportation of the bridal party to the ceremony, the photo shoot location and the reception.

Singh said, however, that many small groups just want the limousine for comfort.

“Recently we had a family on vacation who wanted to be picked up at the airport in Kingston and taken to Negril,” she explained. “It was more comfortable and the lady in the family chose that mode of transportation because she was recovering from surgery.”

The goal for the future is to increase the Knutsford Connect fleet.

“We currently have eight vehicles,” Singh pointed out. “We are seeking to increase our corporate business. We would like to have embassies and larger businesses in the corporate area come on board for transfers between airport and hotels and any other services that would be relevant to them.”

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